Death of Joan Rivers prompts medical safety questions in New York

After the death of comedian Joan Rivers in a New York outpatient center,
some officials have questioned the safety of medical procedures done in
these types of facilities in the state. According to media sources, the
81-year-old comedian went in for a low-risk surgery on her vocal chords
at an outpatient facility. Complications occurred, and she was transferred
to Mount Sinai Hospital. She was later declared deceased by medical staff.
An autopsy has not yet confirmed the cause of death, and the incident
is reported to be under investigation by the New York State Health Department.

Outpatient facilities routinely perform procedures that were previously
done only in hospitals and surgical centers. Under New York law, such
facilities are required to report the occurrence of any event in which
a patient is harmed during care. Between the years 2010 and 2013, approximately
1,000 credited facilities reported about 2,200 events, and more than 250
of those incidents resulted in death.

Due to the figure, a new measure was proposed in 2013 by the Cuomo Administration.
It would have strengthened the requirements for reporting adverse incident
and increased the oversight of outpatient centers, especially in regards
to anesthesia use. However, the measure was rejected by lawmakers.

Questions about the adequacy of health care are not limited to outpatient
facilities. It has been estimated that as many as 200,000 to 400,000 deaths
occur in the U.S. each year as the result of
medical errors made in hospitals.

Medical mistakes can lead to severe injuries, which could lead to a diminished
quality of life for the patient. In some cases, errors result in death.
Anyone who was injured during a surgical procedure or who has lost a loved
one as the result of negligent hospital care may want to speak with an
attorney about the possibility of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

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